Afterward and Always
by KittyThomas
Summary: Tidus is back! Set during and just after the good ending. Tidus explains why he couldn't say those words back, and makes her a new promise... she'll never have to whistle again. Yuna&Tidus. R&R if you can, please. I suck at summaries.


**Afterward **

**A/N: Set during the good ending (grr... the RIGHT one) and following on to afterwards. Might be a oneshot, might multi-chapter it to include Rikku&Gippal, Paine&Baralai. Don't know... see how it goes.**

**.o0o.**

Tidus stood in the shallows of Besaid, water sloshing about his ankles. He looked up, staring at the wonderful world around him. An airship tore through the sky, red and blazing.

What was this airship doing here? What was _he_ doing here, for that matter? He knew _where_ he was, he just didn't know _why. _He glanced up at the airship, and heard a door open behind him. A girl was sliding down the ramp, with a long pink tassel and floating half-skirt. He couldn't see her properly from the distance. She leapt down, jumping onto the sand and ran towards him, sea spurring beneath her feet.

_He was here. He was here, he was here. _

Her feet were flying, she felt as if she couldn't run fast enough. Her heart pounded in her throat, her legs burned. She believed it. She knew it. He was here, she just had to reach him.

Tidus barely opened his arms in time.

"_Yuna," _he breathed.

Yuna flew into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around him. They held each other like they would never let go, holding themselves together as one.

"Are you real?" she asked.

"I-I think so," he stuttered, his face buried in her hair. Doubt echoed in his voice, and Yuna had to squeeze him reassuringly.

They released each other slowly, Tidus' hands still rested on Yuna, he didn't want to let her go, just like he hadn't wanted to disappear. He couldn't find the right words to tell her this though, it's something he had cursed himself for as he jumped off the airship.

"Do I pass?" He asked solidly.

Yuna smiled.

She nodded, "You're back."

"I am back." Tidus' eyes were hidden beneath his hair. "I'm home."

His arms reached Yuna's neck and he pulled her closely to his body, hardly daring to believe it was true. For once, Yuna was the certain one. She stood there blankly for a moment, cherishing the feel of his arms around her once again.

_Home. _He'd said he was home, with her. Through their journey, Tidus' main goal had been to go home- but he found out he couldn't. He wasn't able. The fact that he'd called her home meant more to her than anything- except his existence.

Her arms drew tightly round his back.

"Welcome home," she breathed, "Yes, home."

"Hiya!"

Rikku and Paine laughed and cheered from the airship. Suddenly, a great sound of laughter and cheering drowned them out.

"Hey, you two, getta room!"

They looked forward to the beach, the entire population of Besaid stood on the shores, their arms waving in applause. There were the Aurochs- and beside them Wakka, and Lulu cradling her little baby.

Wakka laughed and waved.

"Wassup?" he yelled.

"Who asked you to watch, Wakka?" Called Tidus, arm glued to Yuna. Everything felt so good, so real, and this time he knew it was true. He was alive, he wasn't a dream. He was real, he was here- with her. Tidus felt a feeling he'd never quite known before. The feeling that without a doubt, everything now was going to be OK.

Tidus gestured towards them, and began to run, dragging Yuna behind him. Before he knew it, he had stumbled, and this time she was pulling him up, dragging him behind her. For the first time, he noticed how different she was.

"You know, you've changed." He said.

Yuna laughed.

"Well, you've missed a few things." She explained.

"I want to hear everything!"

"Well," she started, "it all began when I saw this sphere of you…"

They found themselves on the beach, surrounded by familiar faces. The aurochs all slapped his back and shook his hands warmly, old friends stepped forward to bestow their amazement and congratulations. When they finally reached Wakka and Lulu, everyone cheered again when the two embraced like brothers, and Wakka wrapped his arm around Tidus' head and ruffled his hair.

"Hey, kid!" he exclaimed.

"Hey! Wakka!" Tidus wriggled away, darting back to Yuna. Neither of them ever wanted to leave the other one's side.

The Gullwings sprang upon them. Rikku bounced up to hug Tidus and wouldn't stop jumping around.

"I told you we'd see you again!" she squealed, "didn't I?"

"Hey, Rikku!" he laughed and stepped back to look at her, "Er, you've grown!" he said eventually, and whispered in Yuna's ear, "Is she _allowed_ to wear that?"

Brother was cold to him at first –probably due to Yuna's affection for him- but he couldn't hold his grudge for more than three seconds, where upon he threw his arms around him and exclaimed something loudly in Al Bhed that caused Rikku to say 'Awww…' Buddy shook his hand warmly and congratulated him on his previous defeat of sin and current return, and Shinra bowed politely. Paine swam up next to him while Yuna stood closely to his side and offered a hand.

"Paine," she said briefly, "friend of Yuna's. Heard a lot about you."

"Ooo…That's almost ten words in total!" giggled Rikku, "she must really respect _you._"

"That's minus two respect points, Rikku."

"Oh… How many are left?"

"I gave up counting."

"Oh…"

Tidus eventually turned to Lulu.

"Hello," she said coolly, with a smile that leaked affection. Yuna stood nearby, watching as her old friend grew steadily more happy. Before anyone could say anything, she'd thrown her right arm around him and pulled him close to her, squeezing little Vidina as she did so. She barely cared.

"Hey right back, Lulu." He said, stroking her baby's cheek. "So, did you and Wakka get together? Because that kid sure looks like him!"

"Hmm," she smirked, "Well, I did say, if Yuna didn't marry someone she loved…" And she fixed him with a suggestive look that made Tidus blush.

Back at Besaid town, the celebration went on for hours, well into the night. There was food and drink, laughter and merrymaking, music and dancing. Yuna and Tidus couldn't tear their eyes away from each other, longing for the moment they could talk in private. As the party wore on and the noise slowly died down, they managed to steal away together, back to the beach.

"Yuna-" Tidus started.

Desperate to do something she'd waited two long years to do, Yuna cut across him and place her lips on his.

"Don't say anything." She told him.

"But there's so much to be said- what happened? You said it started with a sphere of me…"

She nodded.

"Only it wasn't, it just looked like you. Kahmari found it on the mountain. It was a man from your time, a blitzball player and soul guardian to a summoner named Lenne."

She stared out at the still waters, suddenly feeling the cold as she recalled their said tale- and her false hope that blossomed into a real one. Her hands clasped his, but her eyes wandered.

"His name was Shuyin. He fell in love with her and was willing to use a terrible weapon to prevent her from dying."

"Sounds familiar." He laughed.

Yuna did not ease.

"But they died. In my dreams, I- I saw us in their place. When it was us, I was alive for a minute longer, and I couldn't see your face. Shuyin and Lenne- he reached out to her, but died before he could, and Lenne had a single tear in her eye. She never said –even though she did- that she loved him."

Tidus touched her cheek gently, stroking away her hair.

"Is that what you wanted to know?" he chuckled, "Yuna, I thought-"

"It was," she replied, pressing herself to his chest, "I never doubted-not for a minute-"

Tidus kissed her.

"I love you, Yuna." He said. "Happy now?"

She slipped into his arms.

"Very." She said. "And I always will be now. I knew, I always knew- that's why I said it, because you needed to know. All my life, I've had to guard my emotions- and then you came along. I was doomed! And saved. I should have said it earlier, told you that I loved you while I still had time. You did. Every time you called out to me, every time we touched, every time you whistled- I knew. I knew."

Yuna faced out towards the sea, the wind caught her hair, the scent danced in her. Tidus' arms wrapped around her- but it was not how he had held her before disappearing- he was solid, his hands clasped hers, his head lay on her shoulder.

"I knew you knew- I think everyone did." He said.

"It was rather obvious."

"Great!" he laughed, "Yuna, when I disappeared, when you said that...well, suddenly there were a thousand things I wanted to say, a thousand words that wouldn't come. I think it was because I was fading, not just because I was-"

"You were crying."

"I was not- well, maybe just a little."

"Oh please, I felt them!"

"That bad, huh?"

Yuna turned around, slipping tighter into his embrace.

"Oh no," she replied, "that good. I knew then that you couldn't be a dream, and that you were really there, holding me. For the briefest of moments I was scared that you were never real to begin with, but feeling your tears... you were there then, and you'd been there before, all through my pilgrimage. Every step we'd taken, every kiss we'd shared, was real and as real as you and I."

"Hmm, and always will be," he said, nuzzling her neck. "Yuna, I once made you a promise, to stick by you to the end-"

"No, you didn't!" she objected, "That's what I said- and then you made me say-"

"ALWAYS!" Said Tidus eagerly, and broke free, hugging Yuna's hand and pulling her into the foam. "Always! Yuna, I want you to promise me something now!" he said, splashing water in her face. She laughed and giggled, putting her hands up defensively and kicking back.

"What?" she laughed.

"Promise me you'll never have to whistle for me again!"

Yuna tripped and fell into him, they landed on the shore.

"What?" she asked, "Why?"

"Because," he said, leaning in closer, "I'm never going to leave your side! It'll be pretty pointless!"

He chuckled, she laughed, and they came together, laughing and playing in the water like children- like they could finally do anything they wanted, now that they were together. No hiding of emotions, no worry about the greater good, no self-sacrificing. All the time they had left was for each other- and always would be.

_Did it begin when I saw a sphere of you? No, I think it began that day in the temple, when I first saw you… because my dream came to life._

**.o0o.**

**A/N: And CUT! That's enough! Or is it...? Seems like a oneshot. Think I'll keep it that way actually. I'll just write some other-sided fanfics that correspond with it. Ooh... Rikku and Gippal! R&R please, my dear reviewers that make me soso happy!!**


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